Panel for formwork for vertical castings

ABSTRACT

A panel for formwork for vertical castings, comprising:a frame for supporting a plane, the frame comprising two end posts and two end crossmembers, the two end crossmembers extending between two end posts,the plane being associated with a first portion of the frame, to be directed toward the inside of the formwork,the frame forming a quadrangular external perimetric border for the panel, the plane having an external perimetric border that substantially coincides with the external perimetric border of the frame;the panel has, at the corners of the perimetric border, at least some of the edges that are only partially sharp.

The present invention relates to a panel for formwork for verticalcastings.

Currently, formwork systems for vertical castings are composed usuallyof modular panels which are coupled in a mirror-symmetrical manner andare fixed to each other by using tension members which in turn arelocked, with adapted devices, to the external surface of the panels.

The locking devices and the tension members are coupled so that thetension member, which is a threaded bar, is compatible with the device,which in turn is provided with a threaded hole through which the barslides up to a preset extension.

During the casting step, the concrete applies to the walls of theformwork a thrust that is balanced in the formwork system by the steeltension members.

The locking devices hinder the movement of the formwork along saidtension members.

Usually, a panel for formwork for vertical castings comprises a steelframe constituted by posts and crossmembers which form a quadrangular,usually rectangular, external perimeter.

A plane, normally made of wood, is associated with one side of saidframe and its external perimetric edge substantially corresponds to theexternal perimetric edge of the frame, which forms a boundary surface ofthe casting.

Each post is provided with through holes which are formed in a directionthat is perpendicular to said post and to the surface of the plane.

These holes are designed for the positioning of the tension members forthe retention of the formwork system and their number is variable as afunction of the application.

These posts also have lateral holes, in a direction that is parallel tothe surface formed by the plane, which are designed for optionalaccessories for connection between panels, such as threaded pins and/orbolts and/or tension members for retention and/or others.

Such a frame is normally stiffened by using crossmembers between theposts.

These crossmembers are appropriately perforated in order to allow thepositioning and connection of other accessories of the system, such asstiffening beams and/or alignment tubes and/or clamps and/or others.

In turn, these crossmembers are mutually connected, for example in theupper and lower portions of the panel, in the configuration for use, bymeans of appropriately perforated vertical profiles.

The wood plane is generally connected to the frame with a plurality ofscrews and/or bolts and/or other hardware.

This known method has some drawbacks.

During the step for the removal and disassembly of the formwork systemthat directly follows the concrete casting and hardening step, manypanels, due to their shape, have the drawback of requiring aconsiderable number of operations that are awkward, long and laborious.

The quadrangular shape of the panel, in fact, and in particular thesharp-edged shape at its corners, produce, during the casting step, aconcentration of pressures in these regions.

This concentration of pressures tends to hinder the removal of thepanels during the step of disassembly of the system.

Another drawback is constituted by the fact that these panels forformwork systems of the known type entail difficulties in handling inthe manual step, since they have a considerable weight and are notprovided with grip elements.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a panel for formwork forvertical castings that is capable of improving the background art in oneor more of the aspects indicated above.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a panel forformwork for vertical castings that allows easy and quick removal afterthe concrete casting and hardening step.

Another object of the invention is to provide a panel for formwork forvertical castings that allows easy manual handling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a panel for formwork forvertical castings that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provideand at competitive costs.

This aim, as well as these and other objects which will become betterapparent hereinafter, are achieved by a panel for formwork for verticalcastings, comprising:

-   -   a frame, for supporting a plane, said frame comprising two end        posts and two end crossmembers, said two end crossmembers        extending between said two end posts,    -   said plane, associated with a first portion of said frame, to be        directed toward the inside of said formwork,

said frame forming a quadrangular external perimetric border for saidpanel, said plane having an external perimetric border thatsubstantially coincides with the external perimetric border of saidframe,

said panel being characterized in that it has, at the corners of saidperimetric border, at least some of the edges that are only partiallysharp.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention willbecome better apparent from the description of a preferred but notexclusive embodiment of the panel for formwork for vertical castings,according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting examplein the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1a and 1b are two different general perspective views of a panelfor formwork for vertical castings according to the invention;

FIG. 2a is a general perspective view of a formwork panel in a step ofapplication;

FIG. 2b is a general front view of the step of application of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 3 is a view of a detail of a panel for formwork for verticalcastings according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, a panel for formwork for verticalcastings according to the invention is designated generally by thereference numeral 10.

The panel 10 comprises:

-   -   a frame 11,    -   a plane 12.

The frame 11 is preferably made of metallic material, such as forexample steel, and is the support of the plane 12.

The plane 12 is preferably but not exclusively made of wood.

The plane 12 is associated, by virtue of fixing elements not shown inthe figures, with a first portion of the frame 11, to be directed towardthe inside of the formwork, also not shown in the figures.

The frame 11 comprises two end posts 13 a, 13 b and two end crossmembers14 a, 14 b, between the two end posts 13 a, 13 b, which form aquadrangular external perimetric border, which is the border of thepanel 10.

In particular, the plane 12 is provided with an external perimetricborder which substantially coincides with the external perimetric borderof the frame 11.

One of the particularities of the invention resides in that the panel 10has, at the corners 15 of its perimetric border, edges 16 which are onlypartially sharp.

The expression “edge”, in the present description, is understood torefer to the intersection portion between an end post 13 a, 13 b and anend crossmember 14 a, 14 b, in the direction of the thickness of thepanel 10 and directed toward the outside of the panel 10.

The expression “sharp edge” is understood to refer, in the presentdescription, to an edge with a blending radius of less than 2.5 mm.

The expression “only partially sharp edges” is understood to mean, inthe present description, that the edges of the panel are sharp edgesonly along a portion of their length, therefore only for a fraction ofthe thickness of the panel 10.

Specifically, these only partially sharp edges 16 comprise, at a secondportion of the frame 11 that is opposite the first portion and istherefore opposite the one affected by the casting, a recess 17, whichis step-shaped.

The recess 17 is extended between an end post 13 a, 13 b and an endcrossmember 14 a, 14 b of the frame 11.

In particular, said recess 17 extends within the overall dimensions ofthe panel 10, so as to not protrude from its perimetric border or fromits thickness.

The thickness of the panel 10 is defined as the extension of the panelin the direction at right angles to the surface of the plane 12 that isdirected toward the inside of the formwork.

The recess 17 allows the partial insertion of a tool at the base of thepanel 10, between the perimetric edge of the panel 10 and the groundand/or another panel 10 on which it is placed.

This allows to remove the panel 10 from the formwork easily after thehardening of the concrete by using the same tool as a lever.

Furthermore, the particular step-like shape of the recess 17 allows toperform a thrust both vertically and horizontally and/or vice versa.

It is thus possible to use a lever in different directions according tothe requirements. It should be noted that this particular shape of therecess 17 is particularly advantageous if two panels 10 are arrangedside by side, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b , since theleverage/maneuvering space created by the combination of two shapedregions 17 arranged side by side is doubled.

The frame 10 comprises a plurality of intermediate crossmembers 18,which extend between the end posts 13 a, 13 b and comprised between theend crossmembers 14 a, 14 b.

The end posts 13 a, 13 b also are provided with through holes 19, withan axis of extension in a direction that is parallel to the surfaceformed by the plane 12 and meant for optional accessories for connectionbetween panels 10, such as for example threaded grubs and/or boltsand/or tension members for retention and/or others.

The end crossmembers 14 a, 14 b are provided with through holes 20 withan axis of extension in a direction that is parallel to the surfaceformed by the plane 12, for the insertion and connection of otheraccessories of the formwork system, such as stiffening beams and/oralignment tubes and/or clamps and/or others.

The intermediate crossmembers 18 also have through holes 21 for theinsertion and connection of other accessories of the formwork system,such as stiffening beams and/or alignment tubes and/or clamps and/orothers.

The end crossmembers 14 a, 14 b are connected to intermediatecrossmembers 18, for example in the upper portion and lower portion ofthe panel, in the configuration for use, by means of intermediate posts22 which are appropriately perforated.

Another of the particularities of the invention consists of the presenceof one or more profiles 23 having a cylindrical extension.

Such profiles 23 are extended advantageously between two intermediatecrossmembers 18.

However, in embodiments not shown in the figures they can be extended:between an intermediate crossmember and an end crossmember and/orbetween an end post and an intermediate post and/or between the two endposts and/or between any post and any crossmember.

Each profile 23 allows grip for easy handling of the panel 10 and isarranged at a distance from the plane 12 such as to allow the passage ofa hand of the user for easy grip.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intendedaim and objects, providing a panel for formwork for vertical castingsthat allows easy and quick removal after the concrete casting andhardening step.

The invention also provides a panel for formwork for vertical castingsthat allows easy manual handling.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modificationsand variations, all of which are within the scope of the accompanyingclaims; all the details may furthermore be replaced with othertechnically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with thespecific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may beany according to the requirements and the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application no. 102019000005148, fromwhich this application claims priority, are incorporated herein byreference.

1.-9. (canceled)
 10. A panel for formwork for vertical castings,comprising: a frame, for supporting a plane, said frame comprising twoend posts and two end crossmembers, said two end crossmembers extendingbetween said two end posts, said plane being associated with a firstportion of said frame, to be directed toward an inside of said formwork,said frame forming a quadrangular external perimetric border for saidpanel, said plane having an external perimetric border thatsubstantially coincides with external perimetric border of said frame,said panel having, at corners of said perimetric border, at least someof the edges that are only partially sharp.
 11. The panel according toclaim 10, wherein said only partially sharp edges each comprise, at asecond portion of said frame that is opposite with respect to said firstportion, a recess, said recess extending between one of said two endposts and one of said two end crossmembers of said frame.
 12. The panelaccording to claim 11, wherein said recess is step-shaped.
 13. The panelaccording to claim 11, wherein said recess has an extension withinoverall dimensions of said panel, so as to protrude neither from theperimetric border nor from a thickness of said panel.
 14. A panel forformwork for vertical castings, comprising: a frame for supporting aplane, said frame comprising two end posts and two end crossmembers,said two end crossmembers extending between said two end posts, saidplane being associated with a first portion of said frame, to bedirected toward the inside of said formwork, said frame comprising oneor more profiles having a substantially cylindrical extension.
 15. Thepanel according to claim 10, wherein said frame comprises: a pluralityof intermediate crossmembers), which extend between said end posts andcomprised between said end crossmembers; a plurality of posts), whichextend between said intermediate crossmembers.
 16. The panel accordingto claim 14, wherein said frame comprises: a plurality of intermediatecrossmembers), which extend between said end posts and comprised betweensaid end crossmembers; a plurality of posts, which extend between saidintermediate crossmembers.
 17. The panel according to claim 16, whereinsaid one or more profiles have an extension between two of saidintermediate crossmembers and are arranged at such a distance from saidplane as to allow passage of a hand.
 18. The panel according to claim10, wherein said two end posts and said two end crossmembers areprovided with through holes with an axis of extension in a directionthat is parallel to a surface formed by said plane.
 19. The panelaccording to claim 14, wherein sad two end posts and said two endcrossmembers are provided with through holes with an axis of extensionin a direction that is parallel to a surface formed by said plane. 20.The panel according to claim 10, wherein said intermediate crossmembersare provided with through holes.
 21. The panel according to claim 14,wherein said intermediate crossmembers are provided with through holes.